Shelf and receptacle



April 25, 1939. i H, P RTE 2,155,772

SHELF AND RECEPTACLE Original Filed Aug. 4, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l pil-25,1939. HCPQRTER 2,155,712

SHELF AND RECEPTACLE Original Filed Aug. 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wag MPatented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES SHELF AND BE CEPTACLE,

Howard 0. Porter, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Slgnode Steel StrappingCompany, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Original applicationAugust 4, 1936, Serial No.

94,199. Divided and this application November 22, 1937, Serial No.175,792

1 Claim.

My invention relates to shelves and receptacles.

It will be illustrated and explained as embodied in a combined tool andpackage supporting shelf and supply receptacle particularly adapted foruse with and as a detachable part of a portable reel for metallicpackage-binder strap.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved shelf and supplyreceptacle.

A further object is to provide a shelf and receptacle that, as a unit,may be quickly and easily applied to and removed from an accessibleposition at the handle of the reel.

Another object is to provide a combined shelf and receptacle which issimple, effective and handy.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a shelf and supply receptacle applied to aportable package-binder trap reel;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective of the reel with the shelf andreceptacle removed, but in the position assumed at the beginning of itsapplication to the reel-handle, to illustrate how the shelf andreceptacle may be detached from and reassembled to the reel.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the shelf and receptacleand the handle of the reel to show how the same are associated when theyare combined, and

Fig. 4 is an end elevation, in partial section, of the shelf andreceptacle in position on the reel handle.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.94,199 filed August 4, 1936.

In general, my improved shelf and supply receptacle comprises a flatplatform for holding tools and supporting light and smallish packagesand a hopper-shaped depending receptacle for holding supplies, the twobeing provided with a guideway for adjustably and detachably associatingthem with a support, such as a reel-handle.

Fig. 1 shows the preferred application of my shelf and receptaclewherein the support comprises the two parallel horizontally disposedportions H1 and I l of the tubular handle of a portable package-binderstrap reel. The shelf 12 is shown as a rectangular platform normallylying in a substantially horizontal position above the reel handle, andthe supply receptacle I3 is shown as a hopper bottom box depending fromthe platform and disposed below the handle.

The tool shelf comprises a rectangular metal frame, the two sides 20 andM and the rear end 22 of which are formed from a single angle iron bentinto generally U shape and having one flange 20' 2|'-22' horizontallydisposed and the other flange upstanding. The fourth and front side ofthe frame consists of a metal bar 23 "6 which is bridged between andsecured to the forward ends of the side members 20 and El. Preferablythe ends of bar 23 abut the upstanding flanges of the side members 20and 2! and rest upon and are secured to the horizontal flanges 20' 10and 2| thereof. The bar may be secured to the flanges ofthe side membersby rivets 24 or other suitable means, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3.

A bottom or platform 25 (preferably made of wood so as not to mar thetools) fits the rectangular frame, resting upon and being supported bythe horizontal flanges thereof and abutting and having its top surfacesubstantially flush with the bar 23. Screws 26 which thread into tappedholes in the horizontal flanges 26'2l 20 of the frame side members, orother suitable means such as rivets, may be utilized to anchor thebottom of the shelf securely to the frame thereof. The vertical flangesof the side and end member 22 should be high enough to extend above 25the plane of the upper surface of the bottom or platform 50 that threesides of the platform may be bordered or bounded by a guard rail orfence which will retain thereon tools or other articles which may beplaced upon the platform. Prefer- 30 ably the fourth or front side wherethe bar 23 is located is left unguarded to facilitate the placing andremoval of tools etc. upon and from the shelf, to permit long handledtools to lie flat and to avoid marring the handles. The upstanding 35guard about three sides of the shelf platform performs another function.In the binding of light and smallish packages it may be convenient tosupport them upon the shelf while they are being bound since in thisposition they are close to the 40 source of the binder (e. g., thereel-drum) and at a convenient height. And when a package is set uponthe shelf bridging across the upstanding guard flange along two sides ofthe platform there is sufiicient clearance between the bottom of the 45package and the surface of the platform to allow the binder strap to beeasily threaded or passed beneath the package. The omission of a guardon the front edge of the platform eliminates a source of interference tothus passing the binder 5 under a package.

The shelf proper is adjustably and detachably retained upon itshorizontal support, consisting of the two handle members l0 and II, by apair of parallel angle iron guides 21 and 28. The angle 55 irons 21 and28 have their horizontal flanges secured to the horizontal flanges 20and 2| of side frame members 20 and 2|, respectively, and their verticalflanges extend downwardly and are spaced apart by a distance such thatthey slidably, but rather tightly, receive the parallel horizontalsupporting members It! and II.

Preferably a pair of cross rods 29 and 30 bridge between and have theiropposite ends extendin through holes in the downwardly directed flangesof angle irons 21 and 28. These rods may be retained in place bysuitable means such as cotter pins 3!. In order that these rods may helpto retain the shelf upon its support, they are spaced below thehorizontal flanges of angle iron guides 21 and 28 a distance which isslightly more than the depth of the supporting members l0 and II. Bythis construction the angle iron guides and the cross rods form, ineffect, a socket into which the supporting members I0 and II willslidably fit so that the shelf may be readily applied to (as shown inFig. 1) or detached from (as shown in Fig. 2) its support.

The shelf may be positioned upon its support by sliding it lengthwisethereupon with the members l0 and II in the! socket formed by theflanges of the guideways and the cross rods. It may be readily detachedfrom its support by sliding it in the opposite direction. And while theshelf is positioned upon its support, its position may be adjusted suchas by sliding it forwardly to render the tools thereon or the suppliesin the receptacle more readily accessible or by sliding it rearwardlytoward the reel-drum (as shown in Fig. 1) to uncover the reel handle forready grasping by the operator when it is desired to move the reel. 7

The supply receptacle or bin comprises a metallic box having sidemembers and 36, which are perforated to permit the cross bars 29 and 30to pass therethrough, and two end members 31 and 38 appropriatelyattached to the side members. Preferably the side and end members of thereceptacle are formed from sheet steel and the side members are soshaped as to give the receptacle, which is suspended from cross rods 29and 30, a tapering or hopper bottom shape. The side members arepreferably so shaped that the opening in the top of the receptacle liesin front of and somewhat below the forward end of the shelf.

This shelf and receptacle provides a readily accessible place foraccommodating such tools as ordinarily may be needed in the binding ofpackages with metal strap, a handy support for holding smallish packageswhile they are being bound, and a bin for storing small supplies, suchas joint reinforcing metal sleeves, which are commonly employed in thisart. The shelf and receptacle may be applied to its support so that, ifthe support is a portable strap reel, they may be moved about with thesupport. However, should it be found desirable or necessary to move thetools and supplies independently of the support, the

combined shelf and receptacle may be readily detached from its supportand, when occasion requires, as readily re-associated with its support.Its position on the support may be adjusted forwardly to bring thehandles of tools resting on the shelf and the supplies in the receptacleinto a position readily accessible to an operator standing in front ofthe reel,-the position commonly taken when binding packages. Or theposition may be adjusted rearwardly to render the reel handle readilyaccessible when the operator desires to move the reel.

Depending the supply receptacle from the shelf by easily removable tierods, the shelf and receptacle may be readily separated for shipment ina small container. The rear tie rod serves also as a binderstraightener,particularly in the event the strap feeds from the reeldrum with an upward curvature.

In combination with the preferred support (i. e., the normallysubstantially horizontal extremity of the handle of a portablestrap-reel, as shown in Fig. 1), the normal center of gravity of theshelf and receptacle, even when they are loaded with tools and supplies,is to the rear of the sliding connection therebetween. Thus, there is anormal tendency for the shelf to tilt in a clockwise direction as viewedin Figs. 1 and 3. This tendency is, of course, resisted by the tie rod29 engaging the underside of the two parallel handle portions Ill andII. That engagement-particularly if a package is resting on theshelfhelps to retain the shelf tightly in place on its support againstaccidental displacement, even though the sliding connection issufliciently loose to enable them to be easily separated when desired.

Having thus illustrated and described the preferred embodiment andapplication of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by UnitedStates Letters Patent is as follows:

A shelf for detachable and slidable association" with a pair of parallelsupporting members and comprising a pair of spaced parallel sideframemembers, each frame member including two right angularly related flangesone of which is upstanding and the other horizontally disposed and thetwo horizontal flanges extending inward: ly toward each other, aplatform bridging between and carried upon the horizontal inwardlydirected flanges of the side-frame members, a pair of angle-iron guidessecured to the horizontal inwardly directed flanges of side-framemembers with one flange of each guide lying along thehorizontal inwardlydisposed flange of a sideframe member and the other flange directeddownwardly, the two downwardly directed flanges of the guides beingspaced apart a distance sufficient to embrace the supporting members,and a cross bar bridged between the two downwardly directed flanges ofthe guides and spaced from the other flanges of the guides to formtherewith a socket for the slidable reception of the parallel supportingmembers.

HOWARD C. PORTER.

